A collaborative talk event titled "Has Fashion's Role Ended?" was held on January 23rd between the semi-closed "Can Fashion Be Updated? Conference," which has been running for six months since September 2012, and Shibuya bookstore SHIBUYA PUBLISHING BOOKSELLERS. The speakers were editor Masanobu Sugatsuke and WWD Japan editorial committee member Akira Miura. Theater Products' Kaori Kanamori, who was scheduled to act as moderator, was absent due to the flu, so Daijiro Mizuno, a member of the "Can Fashion Be Updated? Conference," took over. The moderator explained the purpose of the event: "In light of the remarkable evolution of modern information technology and the environment, and technological innovations in manufacturing, has the fashion industry not been updated? We will ask the two speakers what the future holds for fashion and how the general public will engage with it." Afterward, Miura spoke about the current state of the fashion industry. "The resignation of Marc Jacobs, who had been Louis Vuitton's designer since 1997, in October last year was a memorable event. This is because he announced that he would stop being a contract designer for a major brand and focus on his own creations. The problem in the fashion industry today could be described as the mercenaryization of designers. This started with Karl Lagerfeld, who has been artistic director of Chanel since 1985, and continues with the fact that Nicolas Ghesquière, who succeeded Marc Jacobs, does not have his own signature brand, and the fact that an extremely handsome man like J.W. Anderson was appointed designer of Loewe last year and has become an icon. As symbolized by this, the current situation is one in which designers are content to be mercenaries for the big brand groups. Designers do not have the power they once did, but they still have the potential to transform fashion, so this situation is cause for concern."

He also expressed concern about the declining level of consumption, saying, "H&M's collaborations with top brands like Comme des Garçons, Martin Margiela, and Isabel Marant give consumers the impression that they have the brand's seal of approval, dispelling suspicions that the brands are counterfeit. While there are benefits for the SPA brands, there is little benefit for the brands themselves; they are simply being used. When I asked Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons why they collaborated, she said, 'I have many employees behind me. I want you to understand that. However, I will no longer collaborate with fast fashion brands.'

At present, only luxury brands and fast fashion brands like H&M are doing well, and middle-class brands are being hollowed out. I think the fact that low-priced general stores ASOKO and FLYING TIGER COPENHAGEN, which opened in Harajuku last year, still have long lines indicates the direction of consumption in the future. I worry about what will happen to the Japanese fashion market."

Sugatsuke explained the reasons for the shrinking apparel market, saying, "As Miuccia Prada said, 'What you wear is your presentation to the world. Especially today, people are coming into contact with each other so quickly. Fashion is an instant language.' Fashion used to be the fastest communication tool, but now social media has taken over. With the spread of social media, we have become a 'content-based society' where a person's first impression is determined by information searched online before they actually meet, so there is no longer any need to show off through fashion. As a result, people want things with a background to create their own stories, and lifestyle shops are becoming popular." He went on to warn, "I can think of three ways for fashion to survive: becoming ultra-commoditized like Uniqlo's Heattech and fleece; becoming ultra-utilitarian like sportswear, which pursues functionality and practicality; and becoming ultra-religious, creating a structure in which followers support ideologically-driven brands like Comme des Garçons. He also warned that the food industry is leading the way these days. Food is at the center of lifestyle. The fashion industry itself needs to realize that fashion is now lagging behind the times. This will allow them to create stronger products." He also said, "I feel like fast fashion will come to a dead end at a certain point. I think semi-custom-made clothing like Freeman's Sporting Club will grow."

In response to Sugatsuke's comments, Miura said, "In fact, the 2011 earthquake did not have much of an impact on the fashion industry. Rather, it was the Lehman Shock of 2008 that had a greater impact. I personally think that the widespread use of mobile phones around 2000 brought about a change in consumption trends. Mobile phone costs increased, and the budget for clothing shrank in comparison." Furthermore, answering questions from the audience, he commented, "It's true that fashion is about five years behind the rest of the world. You could say that last year was the start of social fashion," and concluded his speech.